According to DailyMail, Cimarron, a 12-year-old schoolgirl from West Virginia, tragically took her own life after being blackmailed by 26-year-old Alexander McCartney, a computer science student from Northern Ireland. McCartney has since been described as the “UK’s most prolific catfisher.”
McCartney posed as a young girl named Sarah to manipulate Cimarron into sending him topless photos. After gaining her trust through flattery, McCartney revealed his true identity and demanded more explicit images. When Cimarron refused, he threatened to send the photos to her father, Ben Thomas, a former US Army veteran. Faced with these terrifying threats, Cimarron made the tragic decision to end her life using her father’s handgun in May 2018.
Devastating Impact on the Thomas Family
McCartney’s manipulations had far-reaching consequences. Eighteen months after Cimarron’s death, her father, Ben Thomas, also took his own life. The court heard that Ben struggled with overwhelming guilt for leaving his gun accessible and was haunted by the loss of his daughter. The Thomas family, who lived in a small town in West Virginia, was torn apart by the double tragedy.
McCartney has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and awaits sentencing, with the possibility of life imprisonment. However, the Thomas family believes he should have been charged with murder. An uncle told MailOnline, “He might as well have pulled the trigger himself and killed both my niece and brother.” The family contends that McCartney’s manipulation directly led to both Cimarron’s and Ben’s deaths, and they hope his punishment will reflect the severity of his crimes.
The Horrors Revealed in Court
The court heard that McCartney used his technical skills to prey on young girls from his bedroom in Newry, South Armagh. He pressured Cimarron into sending topless photos before revealing his true identity and issuing depraved demands. When Cimarron refused, McCartney heartlessly told her to “dry her eyes” and even suggested she involve her nine-year-old sister in a sexual act. When Cimarron told him she would rather kill herself, McCartney launched a countdown, showing no concern for her well-being. Shortly after, Cimarron used her father’s Heckler and Koch handgun to end her life.
Aftermath and Ongoing Grief
Cimarron’s younger sister, only nine years old at the time, was the first to find her body, hearing the gunshot but initially mistaking it for a balloon popping. It wasn’t until 2021 when police uncovered the online conversations between McCartney and Cimarron, that the family learned the true extent of the abuse she had endured.
Cimarron’s mother, Stephanie, has been unable to cope with the loss of both her daughter and husband. Family friends say she has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and struggles to talk about the tragedy. Even when investigators from Northern Ireland tried to meet with her, Stephanie was too traumatised to engage with them.
Memorials and Advocacy for Suicide Awareness
Cimarron’s grandfather, Dale Thomas, has dedicated a memorial bench to his son and granddaughter outside his home in Frostburg, Maryland. The bench bears the badge of Ben’s military regiment, the 10th Mountain Division, and the words “Faith had brought us through.”
In honour of Cimarron, Ashton Peters, a close friend, has set up a suicide awareness page and organises an annual fundraising walk. Friends and family of both Cimarron and Ben take part, aiming to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
